Obama's Nobel and America's Popularity

The Nobel Peace Prize award to Barack Obama seems so goofy -- even if you’re a fan, you have to admit that he hasn’t really done much yet as a peacemaker. But there’s an aspect of this prize that is real and important -- and that validates Obama’s strategy from the day he took office.

The Obama team came to the White House convinced that one of America’s biggest problems in the world was “reflexive anti-Americanism,” as Obama put it in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly two weeks ago. They saw America’s unpopularity as a big national-security problem, and they were right.

So they set about winning hearts and minds (the Nobel judges among them) from Day One. Obama gave a series of speeches calculated to position him as the Un-Bush. He listed his achievements in that same U.N. speech -- halting torture, ordering the closure of Guantanamo, withdrawing from Iraq, backing negotiations on climate change, and paying America’s debts at the United Nations itself.

Europeans liked it, too, when the president picked a fight with Israel over settlements, and when he showed himself so determined to negotiate with Iran that he overlooked the fact that its government had stolen an election.

That’s what he’s being honored for, really: reconnecting America to the world and making us popular again. If you want to understand the sentiments behind the prize, look at the numbers in the Transatlantic Trends report released last month by the German Marshall Fund. Obama’s approval rating in Germany: 92 percent compared to 12 percent for George Bush. His approval in the Netherlands: 90 percent compared to 18 percent for Bush. His favorability rating in Europe overall (77 percent) was much higher than in America (57 percent).

Obama’s achievements are in the “good intentions” category, but that doesn’t mean they are insignificant. America was too unpopular under Bush. The Nobel committee is expressing a collective sigh of relief that America has rejoined the global consensus. They’re right. It’s a good thing. It’s just a little weird that they gave him a prize for it.

I was more than a little surprised to read the news of Obama's NPP this morning, but the more I think about it, the less surprised I feel. First, the prize is most often awarded for efforts towards achieving peace rather than successful peace achieved. Obama may not have actually created a multilateral cooperative global community, but it isnt hard to see how his policies contrast dramatically to the unilateral kick-your-a$$ policies of the previous administration. Plus, he has made huge overtures to the Middle East, seeking to create a relationship of mutual understanding and respect - also a huge shift in American policy. And, he single-handedly redefined America's role in the global community in a way that accomodates the relativism that certainly DOES exist rather than simply imposing the American will on the world. I realize that domestically there is a lot of head-scratching going on because most Obama initiatives are still floating somewhere out there in limbo, but those things are unrelated to this award. This award is simply a celebration of Obama's efforts to redefine America's role in the international community, increase global safety, and embrace multiculturalism in a way previously unheard of in US foreign policy.
I am not a huge Obama fan - for me, the jury is still out - but I am proud of him for this.

From best I can see, America isn't popular. We're still knuckle draggers. It's Obama that's popular. Us Americans who believe in individual liberty are scary. Remember, that's the shot heard around the world. And, it's still reverberating, regardless of Obama. These internationalists have put their faith in Obama because they believe he may finally be able to tame the "retrograde" concepts of the American revolution, which may spread to their countries.

Heaven forbid that more people will speak up for more individual liberty - the ruling class of Europe along with third world thugs will be thrown into disarray.

No matter how you cut it, an American sitting president winning a Nobel Peace Prize is a good thing for our country, even if premature. The right-wingers have already begun their attempts to somehow twist Obama's prize into something negative that can be used against him politically. Their attempts are nothing short of nauseating.

Whether you agree politically with Obama or not, the Nobel Peace Prize should be embraced and celebrated as a sign of not only the progress that our country has already made in rejoining the global community since Bush left the White House, but also of the great potential that we now have under Obama to go even further under his policies of diplomacy and engagement toward greater peace globally. Americans must get over the silly notion that we must reflexively reject anything Europeans support.

WaPo should make it mandatory for it's columnist to read/know the definition and why the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded before they write a column.

"Nobel Peace Prize may be awarded to persons or organizations that are in the process of resolving a conflict or creating peace."

"The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."

Nice try, David. If the award makes so much sense why does it seem" a little weird"? Answer: Because it should be the policy of the Nobel committees to recognize achievement, not to make political statements and not to award popularity. It is an unknown at this point whether Obama's policies will produce peace or invite conflict, the latter by giving encouragement to unrehabilitated totalitarians and the hard core enemies of Western civilization.

"Obama has as President created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play. Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts."

An international commentator has noted that there has been a paradigm shift in international relations due to President Obama.

For example, let us not forget that for the first time in 30 years, the USA is talking directly with Iran. Obama has taken a difficult position vis-a-vis Israel but it's paying off. Moreover, though roundly criticized for it, from the outset he has promoted a bipartisan approach in domestic politics, bending over backward where lesser men would have smacked down the infantile leaders of the Republican Party who show no concern for the country, only for their coporate interests.

To wait until OBama's efforts have concrete achievements would take about 10 years. His strategy is to shift the direction of the ship of state, but slowly, without causing it to founder or tilt dangerously.

1) The award does not make -- or signify -- that America is popular "again". It signifies that Obama is popular with a certain subset of European elites, which is not exactly news.

2) Although liberals love to argue that America was "hated", the facts are otherwise. By every objective tally, from immigration rates to foreign investment, the world continues to vote with its feet on America "hatred" by doing everything it can to move here or invest here.

3) There are parts of the world that we SHOULD want to hate us. Winston Churchill once said that if you have enemies it is a good thing, because it means you must have stood up for something sometime in your life. If repressive dictatorships like Iran and North Korea remain pissed at us, that's the highest honor I can hope for. The irony, of course, is that Obama is getting an award for arguing we should be nice to militant dictatorships. This confuses a lack of conflict with real peace, something that obviously escapes the brilliant European intellectual elites.

4) In something else that is not exactly news, the Muslim world has always hated the West, because we are not -- wait for it -- Muslim. Even someone with only the vaguest notion of world history should realize that terrorism and Islamic militancy did not start with Bush (although he did a nice job punching it square in the face). It has been a centuries long effort, and Obama's decision to basically surrender is not exactly something to rejoice over. Again, giving up a worthy fight to a merciless, inhumane foe is a peace of only the most crude, degraded kind. Slaves are made in such ways.

All in all, I think the Nobel Peace Prize award given to Obama for what he claims in his speeches (like everything else) will ultimately come to live in infamy in a world ironically made less safe, less peaceful, and less respectful of human rights and democracy by Obama's cowardly decisions to continue talking to monstrous dictatorships rather than stand up to them.

As the chief of the Nobel prize commission correctly stated, it would be hard to find another person who during the past twelve months did more than Obama for international cooperation and understanding.

That is the ONLY criterion required by the Nobel commission. All other opinions are based on personal criteria and prejudices.

Let's not forget the elephant in the room, though. Maybe to some degree this is awarded for being the first black president of america. in that sense you can cite Obama as a sign of the peace that has been created between the races here. But then its not really about him hardly at all.

If we were going to forget that angle, though, this is a pretty bad embarrassment for the nobels, and you know, if Obama really wanted to win some serious points with me, he would have enough class and humility to turn the award down.

OK, based on Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize based upon intentions, here are some other prizes that should be awarded

Nobel Prize for Chemistry: Award for giving speeches saying that chemistry needs to better serve mankind...without actually doing any work to make that happen.

Nobel Prize for Math: Award for saying you WILL come up with a unified theory to explain the universe....and have ever intention of doing just that.

From now on, all Nobel prizes should be awarded based upon who promotes the loftiest goals, not who achieves anything concrete. After all, Obama has achieved "nothing, nada" as it was pointed out by the cast of SNL

Much ado about nothing actually. Cut the guy some slack, this may be his greatest achievment during his term - let him enjoy whilst he can. Still waiting for him to cut the movie star image though and actually DO AS HE SAID HE WOULD! He knows that his promises cant be honoured - it was all just talk again.
Just another politician again. The economy is getting worse by the day - any ideas Mr.President?-please no more throwing useless money around!Try gold bars if there are any left.

Well, it's nice to see that conservatives and neocons aren't turning this into another Obama hatefest. Can't you morons be positive about anything when it comes to Obama? Rhetorical question. Never in my life had I heard it was a bad thing to host the Olympics until Obama tried to make it happen. Why Chicago and not Detroit, I dunno, but nonetheless, they were all over that.

President Obama is the real deal. Honest, intelligent, fair, open minded, and most of all positive. This is what makes greatness. And to all the ranters saying he just makes speeches..he really didn't do anything. I say, better to have speeches then war.

The only true HOPE for piece we have this decade. Perhaps now my children and grandchildren with see hope in this award. Perhaps Americans will come to support and embrace the president as has the rest of the world.

Today, it was announced that you are the recipient of the Nobel Peace Price this year. Congratulations, Mr. President! Congratulations, USA!

As a world citizen, I believe this is the exactly the right time for you to be lauded with this price. In fact, I feel good about being a Norwegian today. Usually I feel good about other things...

To see progress in the world wide scale of humanity, requires broad perspective. Without such perspective, it is extremely difficult to narrow down the focus - to take the first step in the right direction.

We can all stumble. And when the fall is deep, we so easily loose sight of the horizon and the perspective. That is when it becomes difficult to know where the next step will take us.

Mr. President - your words, perspective, focus, and deeds so far, have given the rest of us inspiration to keep looking for that direction - reaching for true progress for us all.

This price is a recognition of how the change in the USA's vision and role has been instrumental to bring a whole world back to the track of progress. Thank you!

"That’s what he’s being honored for, really: reconnecting America to the world and making us popular again."

Oh, really, so it's all about appeasing other countries and becoming popular? To heck with actually getting things right. B.O. (the individual and his candidacy/administration) is a joke and completely unprepared for the position he holds. Shame on the Nobel committee for being so childish--they're a partisan bunch of idiots. Not to worry, this imbecile of a so-called President is on his way to being a one-termer, and it's a heck of a lot more than he was ever entitled to. Let's hope we as a country survive this disaster of a man.

This is embarrassing and gives credence to critic who say BO is cut a lot of slack for "not being Bush" and because he is African American. On the first point - he is more like Bush than we expected; on the second point, the people of this nation, not BO should get the prize for electing him, since he did nothing to become an African American the same way I did nothing to become an Asian American.

This is more of a millstone on our necks and devalues all the other prizes given for sciences, humanities, and literature.

I for one am embarrassed and can't wait to see how the WH is going to spin this once they clear the gunk in their eyes and brains.

Spot on. One of the reasons I voted for Obama was because of the unfortunate effect the Bush admin had on our standing in the world. Regardless of those who think we live in a bubble of USA! We're number one! As far as the rest of the world goes, and we are vastly outnumbered here folks, our image has suffered immensely with the strutting attitude Bush projected. We had the good will of almost the entire planet right after 09/11 and it was squandered. Our nation was founded on the "city on a hill" ideal - we need to regain that in order to have the influence we need and want to have, and Obama has made a great start on that with the idea of taking our place in the parade of nations - and eventually leading it once again. Good job, Mr. President!

Anti-Americans INCLUDE all the Taliban, Al Qaeda, Hamas, Hezbollah, Jeremiah Wright, and AND EXCLUDE The United Kingdom, France (under Sarkozy) Germany. The countries that are happy with Obama that hated Bush are Russia and China and all those leftist regimes that see him as their ally.
Now we know why our President was flying all over Europe bad mouthing our country and George W. Bush. Now we know why he cancelled missile defenses there. If they gave one to Jimmy Carter for his work with Israel and Eygpt which actually brought a peaceful end to their conflict it made some sense, but Obama?

"Unlike the other Nobel Prizes, which are awarded by Swedish institutions, the peace prize is given out by a five-member committee elected by the Norwegian Parliament. Like the Parliament, the committee has a leftist slant, with three members elected by left-of-center parties."

All he has to do to become Saint Obama is to stop supporting partial birth murders, give away all of America's wealth and power and surrender to our enemies in the Middle East. He is already on track for the latter two elements.
If you thought our Messiah was hubris filled and anti-American before, you ain't seen nothing yet.

It's not weird at all that they gave him the prize, Mr. Ignatius. It was clearly a political statement.

Indeed, America is popular now that its economy and military have been purposefully weakened by President Obama's government. The world loves an America that is weak and submissive. Congratulations, Mr. Ignatius.

I live in the Middle East. Anecdote to this award and the underlying intentions: I was in a taxi in Egypt last week, and the taxi driver was very proud to have an American in his taxi, primarily because "you happy..we happy, Bush halas (finished), Obama good, hamdilallah (thank God)..now people stop tell us how to run country and leave us alone"....I just sat and listened for 10-15 minutes, and he started weighing in on the Mubarak regime (...Hosni does not have to worry about being awaken at dawn with a suprise Nobel Prize anytime soon) -- "government bad, people in Egypt very poor, hurt bad, Obama has to do something...change our government like Iraq....my brother doctor just moved to Iraq...thing bad here Egypt". I didn't have the heart to tell him that nothing will happen -- especially with President Obama in the White House.
The Obama Administration policy is to do nothing as far as poking sticks in the cages of the worlds tigers, and simply appease (talk, cajole and encourage), despite the suffering of people the world over. I couldn't help myself but think of this taxi experience in the context of the NPP being awarded to President Obama. The hypocrisy of the 'hopes' of the NL committee will likely be borne out in the suffering of masses of people that love President Obama for who they think he is...only to find out that all that talk and cajoling ended up getting them nowhere towards betterment of their lives. Anyone that thinks the dicators and authoritarians in the world are going to relinquish power and empower their people to a better way of life because President Obama is "nice guy" and "talks and listens" are insanely naive to the aims of these leaders and the people they cause suffering. Ironic that the taxi drivers brother moved to Iraq to be a doctor and find a better life.....Not something the Nobel crowd probably wants to believe even happens....

It beats the hell out of being hated and reviled worldwide. It will make it more possible to actually accomplish the long list of things that are impossible for the US to accomplish alone, going on only gut and grit.

He won the Gore Award, he won the Gore Award! He won it for his strategy, talk about it but do nothing--quite a strategy. The current Afghanistan strategy, talk about it but do nothing while our soldiers die. I bet Mr. Nobel is spinning in his grave. At least Carter had a couple of tough enemies sit down for dinner together. This is a joke. I bet the Nobel Award winners who really accomplished something are beside themselves.

I must respond to the Texas Nationalist Move - Are you freaking kidding me? Texas is the state that gave us the idiot Bush. Texas sucks a tremendous amount of federal dollars out of the treasury - more than they bring in. Texas would dry up without federal money, DOD, NASA Fed DOT expenditures.

God the man is narcissistic enough, what with his "I" "me" "my" speeches-and here we see yet again that the man is being given something else again on a silver platter...for nothing at all except that he is Barack Obama, President of the US.

It must be great to be Obama, but what HAS HE DONE FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE OTHER THAN RUN UP A HUGE DEFICIT ALREADY, AND WHAT IS HE DOING ABOUT UNEMPLOYMENT?

The Nobel Prize was totally discredited it when they gave it to Yassar Arafat. It is a deep embarrassment and shame to be associated with a prize and a prize committee that honored an avowed and unapologetic killer of innocent people. If Obama valued principal over profile, he'd throw that award in the same dung heap of history where monsters such as Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, Ayatollah Khomeini, Chavez, Castro, and all the other tin-horn dictators and tyrants have rotted or will rot away.

The award also proves another point: Obama is the type of person who has been told he is "special" his whole life long, even when he accomplishes nothing. When this psychological profile persists past the college years, there is a deep problem with the individual. He needs to accomplish little or nothing to be considered "accomplished and special." Most of us who are adults would be embarrassed to be rewarded when we have given little or no effort--or produced no results. No so with those who believe that they are "special." The next few years are going to be really interesting--will Obama grow beyond this childhood "gestalt"; when he fails, will he blame it on others because he has been told that "special" people shouldn't fail? Will he own his mistakes, or can he not make any mistakes at all? I really feel like we are watching a college kid grow up in the White House.

Most of the current world is Marxist or Socialistic in their political thinking at this time. It is obvious they wanted someone of the same ilk to win. There are many others out there that could have won who aren't Marxist or Socialist but they will have to wait until Obama is done pulling the pillars of freedom out from under the American people. The Jewish population of Europe went through this similar episode and now we who sit around and do nothing(politically) will sow our future of discontent.

Sure he is popular in Europe, he ask of the European nothing: no additional military or financial support for Afghanistan for instance. There is no poll for it: but petty despots from Uzbekistan to Guinea must be voting for him too, now they can sleep soundly at night, (unless otherwise kept awake by their own troops shooting their own people).

I am sure he is also deeply loved among the North Koreans desperately trying to flee tyranny and famine and the Iranian students being clubbed on the streets as well.

The message from Norway is clear: Thanks for doing nothing. I will second that.

Conservatives that scorn the recent awards of Nobel Prizes and, specifically those go to the length of castigating the Nobel committee, are simply sour losers. Case in point, if ever one of them win it, he/she would quickly change his/her tune and display it with pride. They are a bunch of hipocrites. Another example of their hipocrisy: You often hear conservatives complain that there are too many lawyers, but if their sons or daughters become a lawyers, they would be so proud.

The Europeans are hoping that they will be able to remain on the sidelines, carping and whining about anything and everything, but doing nothing of consequence. In return Obama gets a prize. Now Europe will feel entitled to mouth off on anything antiAmerican they conjure up, because Obama is stuck with a prize. Jimmy Carter got one too. That says it all!

Some of you people act as if America's popularity would somehow be damaging to you. And the left is accused of self-loathing?

Another thing on the minds of the Norwegians is that the prize may confer more legitimacy and importance to America when it is dealing with other world leaders, such as the madmen running retro-medieval Russia. Again, how is this not good?

It beats the hell out of being hated and reviled worldwide. It will make it more possible to actually accomplish the long list of things that are impossible for the US to accomplish alone, going on only gut and grit.
*******

too bad this prize isnt given out by "the world" whatever that would mean.

instead, this is a prize from the Norweigans and it essentially highlights how detached from reality, and grounded in pure adulterated aspiration, the Europeans are. And these are the people we are trying to court the approval of???

On the other hand, the French president scoffed at Obama's vision of a nuclear free world. So i guess we won over Norway at the expense of losing France. I would rather have France frankly. Norway isnt even part of NATO, i dont think. In any event, French is a much more valuable strategic military partner.

Accepting this prize, all the while saying it could not be his alone, just goes along with his ego-maniacal self! He in no way deserves this, and a real man would not accept it!
I certainly hope he isn't planning on using Tax Payer money(Air force One) to fly to Oslo to accept. It is a private award worth millions he will put in his own pocket!

"It's not weird at all that they gave him the prize, Mr. Ignatius. It was clearly a political statement.

Indeed, America is popular now that its economy and military have been purposefully weakened by President Obama's government. The world loves an America that is weak and submissive. Congratulations, Mr. Ignatius. "

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Who weakened the economy? Our military? B U S H! Deny as much as you want and all it does is make you look either uneducated or unreasonable - perhaps both. Has Obama fixed the economy? The military? Not yet but then again, Bush had 8 l o n g years to wreak both - give Obama more than 9 months to fix that wreck.

Growing up, we would play softball just about every weekend during the summer. One of the neighborhood kids that played with us had some disabilities. We always made sure that he would get picked first or second when picking teams. If he hit the ball, even a foul ball, we always made sure he was safe, He played the “most important position”, inner center field, which of course really doesn’t exist. I can’t recall anyone ever objecting to his playing, it gave him confidence and hope and it gave us a good feeling.

It's really too bad that we can't just be happy that an AMERICAN has won the NPP. Why are we still playing politics? Our President received a great recognition today and yet people are acting like we were just spit on! Come on, this is a GOOD thing!

It's nice to be popular, and I don't disagree with trying to achieve that. But as anyone who's been through high school knows, in the long run it's bad to be popular for the wrong reasons. If this article is right, then the Nobel peace prize is a popularity award. Let's not fool ourselves. Obama's popularity at home is only at 50%. His popularity with Columbia (trade pact stuck in idle), South Korea (doing virtually nothing to stop North Korea's nuclear missile capability), Honduras (supporting a leader who was deposed under the completely legitimate law of his land) is not the same as it is in Norway and Germany. No one can be popular to all people, all the time, and Obama's foreign policy in the years ahead is going to be unpopular to certain parts of the globe. Rome was a pretty successful empire there for a while, and I don't think it achieved success just by trying to be popular....

David's got it about right. President Bush was personally always less popular than basic American policies in most of Europe. This had an impact because it made it harder for other nations to work with us -- especially on difficult or controversial issues. The President's unpopularity was, in essence, a drag on accomplishing foreign policy goals.

While it is great that President Obama has now reversed that situation, the jury is out as to whether he can turn that popularity into the kind of increased European support that will lead to meaningful achievements.

Germans may love him, but they so far haven't been willing to answer his call for more troops in Afghanistan. Russians may think he's cool, but their government still hasn't moved beyond talk on Iran.

So...the current Conservative criticism of President Obama over this award is not necessarily wrong, but it is premature. In three year's the Nobel Committee will either be able to claim they provided an early boost to help achieve some key objectives or have to own up the fact that they got taken in by another pretty face.

Perhaps this will give Obama the moral courage he need to stand up to the Israeli lobby and impose meaningful sanctions on Israel unless they stop expanding their settlements. It's actually in Israel's own national security interests to do this, and especially if they have to attack Iran, because doing so will reduce blow-back from Arabs who don't like Iran but also don't like seeing Israel attack a Muslim nation.

OK, so I would have lost my shirt if I had bet on the Nobel Peace Prize winner.

Yet, Obama may now have an injection of super glue into his spine to pursue his American constituencies goals of peace and justice deomestically and worldwide. His handling of the Iran file while being bullied to commit genocide on Iranians is remarkable. [Too bad, Hilary and Netanyahu].

Obama is like a decent person who has inherited a Mob's family business and is at physical risk if he cuts off the Family's profits - and those of its main mob allies abroad - without first substituting clean sources of revenue.

More specifically, Stockholm may be offering him moral cover to declare the Palestinian state and to cut the Zionist Knot that ties the US to the rogue state which is the greatest existential threat to world peace.

Will the Nobel Peace Prize US president now also clean up his own stables of torture and war crimes in Afghanistan and Pakistan and support ICC prosecutions of Americans, Israelis, Sri Lankans, British and all others effectively accused of crimes against humanity?

Perhaps the dark futures of "Chosen World - our war on Islam and our own freedoms" will be brighter. Warring on 25% of the world's population for religious reasons is insane.

I think that to give this prize to Obama who at this point has accomplished nothing diminishes the value of the prize significantly.

I mean really is there any substantive thing Obama has done to encourage world peace? Guantanimo is still open, The US government still uses the same exact tactics it used under Bush. Iran hasn't done anything about its nuclear weapon stockpile. The Israelis and the Palestinians are still killing one another.

From best I can see, America isn't popular. We're still knuckle draggers. It's Obama that's popular. Us Americans who believe in individual liberty are scary. Remember, that's the shot heard around the world. And, it's still reverberating, regardless of Obama. These internationalists have put their faith in Obama because they believe he may finally be able to tame the "retrograde" concepts of the American revolution, which may spread to their countries.

Heaven forbid that more people will speak up for more individual liberty - the ruling class of Europe along with third world thugs will be thrown into disarray.

I think you should read these international folks more closely.

Posted by: Cdgaman

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You might not have noticed, but we've basically become Old World Europe these past few decades. All the preening about individual freedoms doesn't amount to a hill of beans as our nation basically has turned into a siphon of income for the very very wealthy. There is not much freedom in being working poor and dying of preventable diseases.

I suggest you actually visit Europe before spouting off old school perceptions for how it is over there.

Face it. Obama was elected by a majority of voting Americans, thus he IS America to the rest of the World. You guys in the minority are simply puffed up thinking you are really the "silent majority" and you guys just emit sour grapes all over the place. The World did NOT like Bush or you guys when you were the majority. The World does like Obama and the current majority. Please wait for 2012 and see if you are the majority again, then you can talk.

One hundred percent of the people in another country would be happy and proud. However, there is significant number of people in the US who think America has been the 'only greatest country on earth' and therefore must kick butt all the time to stay number one otherwise it would be taken as weakness. So to them George Bush should have won this since he kicked butt (or at least talked of kicking butt), even though he was able to manufacture and motivate thousands of terrorists and kill hundred of thousands of civilians.

One thing these, butt-kick fans do not realize and never will is that there's been many greatest-countries-on-earth before (the British, the Germans, the Romans, the Greeks, the Egyptians, the Mongolians,...) and now remain in obscurity. Their downfall has been brought mostly by the arrogance butt-kick fans. The Nazis for instance.

They cannot therefore fathom that you can win many more people with Obama's approach than with the butt-kick-only approach.

It takes talent to write so much drivel. Just because Obama proclaimed to the world that the U.S. was a lousy country, and boom, the world likes us now. Well the people that decide on the Nobel peace prize have strange views. I would not feel very comfortable in the company of Arafat, Carter and El Baradei as a Nobel peace prize recipient, while Reagan who, with his acid remarks on the Soviet Empire led to the end of the Berlin wall, a remarkable piece of work for peace did not get it, or Pope John Paul II who accelerated the demise of communism did not get it either.

Some moron wrote:
internationalists have put their faith in Obama because they believe he may finally be able to tame the "retrograde" concepts of the American revolution, [i.e. liberty]

Is this comment for real? The Nobel committee gave Obama the prize for his moving authoritarian government forward? What about Bush's expansion of executive power? Doesn't the expansion of government power necessarily impede liberty? The right wing in this country is a bunch of ill-educated lying hypocrites. Obama deserved this award for restoring the ideals of peace, diplomacy, and dialogue.

I believe there ae 208 candidates, some of these individuals have been working for years for peace and President Obama, two week into his administration gets nominated? Please, the committee has made a mockery of the prize again. The prize is worthless and is an embarrassment to the president and our country because he most certainly does not deserve it as I'm sure he knows.

YAY!! We're, or should I say Obama, is popular!! YAY for us!! Has that ever-so-fabulous "popularity" accomplished ANYTHING for us? Do we have the "hot girlfriend" (European support to actually FIGHT and contribute more troops to Afghanistan)? Did we get named captain of the football team (Have we gotten anyone that matters solidly onboard to confronting Iran's nuke intentions)? Were we invited to the cool kids' party (treated with respect at the UN)? Did someone save us the cool section of seats at the Homecoming football game (Muslims in the US or the world roundly and loudly condemning terrorism and reaching out to Israel)? Nope, haven't gotten any of those "benefits" of popularity?

HOWEVER, we HAVE had the opportunity to embarass ourselves in public (making apology after apology to the weak Europeans and to the "poor Muslims" for our lack of "understanding" and outreach), get a "wedgie" in the locker room (as a cabal of nations look to cripple our nation by dumping the dollar for pricing oil and other commodities), and be rejected by the pretty girl with the locker next to ours (Russia and China basically saying "Go F*&^ Yourselves" when it comes to tangible support on Iran).

So I think its just AWESOME that we're apparently so POPULAR (though actually; I think we're the kid everyone is nice to their face but has no respect for and talks trash about behind their back), but all we've done is sacrifice and gotten absolutely zero in return, with more indignities (such as subordination on how we run our free-market economy from the likes of the IMF and perenially double-digit unemployment EU countries) to come.

Congrats on your award Mr. President; keep up the A$$-Kissing with no rewards, and likely you will have a cozy seat as UN Secretary General (the most worthless role in world history) waiting for you after your 1-term in our highest office!! You are sooooo "COOL"!!

President Obama began his outreach to the rest of the World before the election. At home, it was mocked.

It took a statement like the Nobel Prize to make it clear that the rest of the world didn’t find it funny and appreciated America’s endorsement of Obama’s message of community and our helpful and ultimately peaceful place within it.

It is a shame that at home it isn’t understood that it is useful to have the respect and trust of other nations.

Such as the trust that if they watch our back, and point out a, possibly, dangerous person; they won’t end up party to torture.

Ignatius has it right. This is the Committee's way of giving the Nobel Peace Prize to the American people. As many have stated, Obama's only been in office less than nine months. But I recall how shocked and appalled the rest of the world was in 2004 when we consciously re-elected someone who had lied (misled, exaggerated, pick your verb) to get us to invade a country that had not attacked us and had no plans nor ability to do so. Perhaps this is its way of telling Americans, "you chose peace and dialogue over McCain's Bushlike cowboy bellicosity, and now we welcome you back into the world community".

Cognomen08, well said. It is a bit dismissive to say that Obama started on the scene on January 20. Americans barely noticed that trip to Europe in the summer of 2008, but it was a huge statement to the rest of the world that our big misguided moment of Arrogance and Exceptionalism (ie, we can do as we like and aren't subject to any laws or morality) was OVER.

The more I think about this, the less premature I think it was. Still a shocker, but Obama has made a big, profound statement over the past two years. While that hasn't translated into world peace overnight, it is a necessary, humble step in that direction.

Tomcasey-wrong! The giving of this Nobel Prize by the provincial Norwegians to Barack Obama is VERY WRONG! A prize of this caliber, worth a million US dollars to the recipient is SUPPOSED to be about what the recipient has ALREADY achieved, what the recipient HAS SUBSTANTIVELY ACHIEVED-it is not supposed to be a disingenuous political ploy, an incentive if you will, to go in the direction the Nobel Prize Committee would like to see US foreign policy go in-which is, to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, etc. etc. OBAMA HAS DONE NOTHING, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DESERVE SUCH AN AWARD-BEFORE OR AFTER HE HAS BECOME PRESIDENT. YET AGAIN, HE HAS BEEN HONORED FOR DOING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING OF SUBSTANCE-AS THE OTHER POSTER ABOVE STATED, HE HAS BEEN TAUGHT ALL HIS LIFE THAT HE IS "SPECIAL"-AND THUS, PEOPLE GIVE HIM THINGS JUST FOR BEING "SPECIAL"- THAT MAY BE OKAY WITH THE NORWEGIANS, BUT FOR AMERICANS, WE ARE PEOPLE OF ACTION, WE DO, WE DON'T DITHER ENDLESSLY-THAT'S THE PROVINCE OF THE EUROPEANS. OBAMA IS FALLING DANGEROUSLY INTO THAT LATTER EUROPEAN CATEGORY-HE'LL FIND OUT SOON ENOUGH THAT THE ALL TALK LITTLE ACTION WILL SOON WEAR ITSELF OUT, AND IT WON'T MATTER HOW "SPECIAL" HE BELIEVES HIMSELF TO BE, HE'LL BE OUT OF A JOB AS PRESIDENT.

Yes, I agree it is very weird that he is getting a Nobel prize. Let's face it, it is more like a "nice" gesture than anything else and doesn' speak well of the Officials in charge of awarding this award.

I, too was surprised by "our" President being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. However, whether he deserves it or not "in your mind", this is a positive for America. I truly believe that many of America's problems can be traced to its enemies, and the other half is a result of America, itself. There are too many people in this country that become "anti-american" when they're choice is not in the White House. Basically these people hate the President and any effort he stands behind that would benefit the people of the U.S.A.
America has many enemies abroad, but I think we have many more living amonst us.

".....and that validates Obama’s strategy from the day he took office." Actually, he was nominated last fall, long before he took office... I guess, based on a few rhetorical speeches, one in Germany. It certainly couldn't have been based on his brief record in the Senate.

I was up at 5:00 a.m. and the television was on-Hallelujah-I heard the news early in the morning!! Good news come early-"Joy Cometh in the Morning".

Congratulations Mr. President and America-that's right America should be proud and honored. And to all media-"it was not a token gift!!" It was about hard work and I mean hard work in 9 months not 4 years of bull and ugly secrets. Ha! You go Mr. President-the world acknowledges you even if some here are not willing to do so. But, at this point-who cares-God put his favor in it-Amen!!! Just in the face kinda-well done!!1

Love it, simply love it!! The world is saying Mr. President okay you opened the doors now go for it and we like your style and class. We support your bold attempt to bring peace and understanding but, we also are saying "put up or shut up". Heat that now-keep up the good work and do ask these same Countries to assist you in bringing it on home. Scar1 praying for you, your family, your administration, your plans and any thing God can bless you with from this moment to 2016! Amen! from Scar1

And to Media and GOP-Check that! So, again he really deserves the prize-no doubt. With all he has endured in 9 months-hell to the yeah! Don't care what ya say-the world has spoken-in your face!!!

Me too-Wow what a prize it is!! Why? It has nothing to do with man! "Blessed is the Peacemaker". Let me say it again, "Blessed is the Peacemaker". No matter what you think-God gave him an award any child of God would want!!! Ya can get jealous, angry, upset, turn flips and jump off a cliff-"Blessed is the Peacemaker!!!! Well done President Barack H. Obama!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And to Media and GOP-Check that! So, again he really deserves the prize-no doubt. With all he has endured in 9 months-hell to the yeah! Don't care what ya say-the world has spoken-in your face!!!

Me too-Wow what a prize it is!! Why? It has nothing to do with man! "Blessed is the Peacemaker". Let me say it again, "Blessed is the Peacemaker". No matter what you think-God gave him an award any child of God would want!!! Ya can get jealous, angry, upset, turn flips and jump off a cliff-"Blessed is the Peacemaker!!!! Well done President Barack H. Obama!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

or too dangerous to ignore... but with China and India and Japan and Russia and Korea and such that may soon be changing...
but better with globalization and realization of our interdependence on our tiny jewel of life called Earth they see that Obama embodies someone with the potential to go beyond the Old World of nationalistic strategic dominance theory!!!
It is a big and bold hope...

"God gave him an award any child of God would want!!! Ya can get jealous, angry, upset, turn flips and jump off a cliff-"Blessed is the Peacemaker!!!! Well done President Barack H. Obama!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
WOW! Check this, "SCARF": There is no "God" and this is proof! "The World has spoken". Goodness, America is now so popular! I remember what happened to all those "popular" folks; funny I don't see them in my neighborhood anymore, because "popular" couldn't make the bacon, BABY!

"Obama gave a series of speeches calculated to position him as the Un-Bush. He listed his achievements in that same U.N. speech -- halting torture, ordering the closure of Guantanamo, withdrawing from Iraq, backing negotiations on climate change, and paying America’s debts at the United Nations itself."
_________________________
These things maybe "un-Bush", but they are not necessarily in America's self interest either, and in that sense they may be as un-American as well as un-Bush.

If you know anything about the history of human rights, you will not think for a second that President Obama does not deserve this prize. Bush, and all of us in the US who kept him in his office for eight years, destroyed EVERY SINGLE basic human rights principle and premise, and, while doing so, literally killed millions of people, and turned the world into a place of endless conflicts and violence. President Obama ended that process, and reversed the trend so that all of us can believe and hope that we can peacefully coexist. No one has deserved this prize more than President Obama.

Motherforobama, your post is so rife with broad screamingly inaccurate generalities, that the best advice I can give you is to say-stick to mothering and baking cookies, because you've not got one GD idea in hell what has gone on in either the Bush White House, for that matter, in the Obama White House-you'd be shocked to find out how much of Bush's Department of Justice policies are STILL in place with the Obama Justice Department, just to take one example. You're an idiot.

Look, if the last eight years have taught us anything, it's that there's absolutely, positively no value in winning the hearts and minds of people. It's a waste of time, effort, and money. If you want to be successful, you have to shock and awe them on day one, and then they'll simply greet you as liberators.

The perception of the people you're trying to lead means nothing. Nothing, I say!

Obama himself has acknowledged this as a call to action rather than as a recognition of accomplishment, and it's a good sign that the world is starting to trust us again, but the haters will never run out of excuses for their hate.

It is just amazing that ANYONE of good faith and a sense of devotion to this country would denigrate this award which is a boost to the country as well as Obama. As we have seen in the reaction to the decision not to award the Olympics to Chicago, there is a cynical element in our country that hates Obama with an irrational fury more than they love America, if indeed they love America at all.

The award certainly validates his strategy if his strategy was to be liked by the European intellectual left. Mr. Ignatius, perhaps you confuse a "strategy" with a "tactic." (Or perhaps Mr. Obama does.) Being liked might be a good tactic, but it should serve a larger strategy. We have yet to see how all these good feelings--directed mostly at Mr. Obama himself--have transalated into policy gains. If, as I believe, it is too early to judge any of his policies as a failure, it is also too early to judge any of them as a success. Hence, the prize was premature, at best, since that term assumes he will ripen into a deserving winner. But then maybe the committee did not risk waiting for the outcome.

Anyway, a hearty congratulations to the surely-reluctant winner. He and his advisors could not have wanted the unwelcome burden of living up to a lifetime achievement award at this stage of his career.

The WashPost online has 19, that’s Nineteen, negative articles on the President of the United States winning the Nobel Peace prize, and 2 positive articles. Who are you, Fox News? Shameful beyond words!

In less than a year Obama has avoided the second great depression; is ending the war in Iraq in an orderly, honorable way; is looking for a way to win in Afghanistan, something Bush couldn't figure out in 7 years; is working for universal healthcare for all Americans, something every president has failed to deliver in nearly 100 years; and won the Noble Peace Prize.

At this point in his presidency Bush was reading “My Pet Goat” to school kids and Cheney was hiding in the basement of the White House, badly in need of a change of underwear.

Right now Obama is on schedule to become one of America's greatest presidents. Rejoice America, even as the little jealous neocon men turn green with envy.

Why do so many people confuse European opinion (more specifically, Western European opinion) with World opinion? I understand it's a common mistake but I expect better from Mr. Ingatius's usually excellent commentaries.

If “reflexive anti-Americanism,” is the problem, it would seem we should question our presence in places like Afghanistan where we end up playing the role of a recruiting advertisement for the Taliban, and are now told by our intelligence agencies that our presence there has lead to an increase in the Taliban fighters from 7000 to 25,000 over the past three or four years.

Posted by: georgedixon1 |
====
I presume this post is from a fan of George (I rdid miss the Vietnam action) Bush.
Affirmative action?
If you mean a man who fought his way to the top by excelling in everything he did, then you can affirm that Obama succeeded.
If you mean George (war-dodging frat-boy) Bush, he was the beneficiary of the biggest affirmative action program going: He was born into a rich family who bought the lazy, intellectually incurious, marginally moronic warmonger everything he achieved in life.
Please stifle your ignorance.

I wrote a poem for him, on January 10, 2009, called Child Of A Tropical Mating. Let me presume the priviledge of quoting a few verses from it:
This child of palm trees and sugar cane
Hibiscus and ginger lilies,
will now walk serenely, contemplatively, in the rose garden
And in the corridors of power;
And restoere to us the dignity and stature of world leader, not world bully,
which shamed us.
This manchild in the promised land,
in whom the promise is fulfilled,
This Barack Hussain Obama, named for the Prophet's nephew, this man, my Nigerian friend says, is sent from God
to help us work towards peace, with love for all, jobs for all.
What a wonderful January morning, as we, reinvigorated,
watch Tuesday's child pledge to uphold us, our constitution, our wishes, our dignity, our future.
Tuesday's child is fair of face, and fairfaced is this man, who like an African patriarch, gathers up his multi-ethnic family together, to make a great leap forward,
and saluting us,(old women) by including his mother-in-law in the journey, redefining, upholding family...

The world rejoices for him.
Let us also rejoice and be glad of him.
Jubilate!"

Today also, the world rejoices for him.Let us also rejoice.
Jubilate Deo!

Why, why, why does everyone forget that George W. Bush, is the one who started the war in Afghanistan and that there's no way Obama can pull the troops out at this time? and why, do people forget that Obama has managed to tame the recession, which is the worst the world has seen since the GREAT DEPRESSION? only a few months ago, this country and the rest of the world were on the blink of economic disaster, but things are now looking up...why wouldnt anyone who is not a child, anyone with a concept of TIME, not comprehend what the administration has done in teh 9 months they've been in power???

God, it's horrifying reading so many denunciations of Obama and/or the Nobel Prize. The Republican right-wingers are so filled with partisan hatred that they are absolutely unable to say anything good about America when they aren't in power. "Blame America first"? Wow. I remember when Clinton was President, every single day Rush Limbaugh would start his show by saying that it was "America held hostage." Republicans don't love America OR democracy; they just love winning.

Just a few days ago, Obama critics were presenting as part of the talking points that Obama unwisely squandered his political capital by losing the Olympics. The thesis of this argument was that the United States has more power, when the President has international recognition.

There is merit to the argument that the Prize should have awaited more accomplishments. But I find it passing strange that the proponents of Presidential power have suddenly turned to a new set of talking points. They no longer want the President to receive international recognition. They no longer care that our President might be able to translate that power into results. In short, they would rather have a weak President, even though it weakens America.

When an American President meets with world leaders in the White House or a Summit, his power to accomplish through persuasion, instead of force or bribery, is related to his standing in the world community and at home. A strong President may accomplish things without loss of American lives, that a weak President cannot. As I talk to my Republican friends it is becoming increasingly clear that too many would rather that our President, whom they regard as really someone else's President, would be as weak as possible, even if it comes at great cost to our nation.

This desire, to diminish and weaken our President, at any cost, is a sign of a dangerous deterioration in American pride and patriotism.

Kudos for President Obama in winning the Nobel Peace Prize! What can you haters do? Simply enjoy the moment and be proud how other nations are finally viewing the U.S. Why do right-wingers continue to pick at every little detail -- positive or negative -- of the Obama administration? Just for today, please be at peace with yourself and be grateful that we are viewed as a compassionate country.

Yes, the President's promise is in the future, not the past, but there's no difference in the Grand Scheme of Things, is there? He is to be congratulated, especially in recognition of the humility of the acceptance. Additionally, my staff had learnt a distinguished Indian swami was on the short list, the Maharushi. Nevertheless, such person is not registered in the All-India Directory of Recognised Holy Persons. This would appear to be either a hoax or, possibly, an unrealised reincarnation.

Who ever said the Nobel Prize for Peace is awarded for being President? Mother Teresa, MLK, and The Dalai Lama, as well as the Opposition leader from Myanmar, and a freedom fighter from Latin America have also won.
Mr. Obama won for the body of work and ideas that got him elected president, since the nominations closed within a month of his being inaugurated.
I call him Obamahope, as in hope for peace, hope for equality of all people. We have to change our perspective from bullying to co-operation.
I am delighted for what this means to the world. I cannot think of any group of people, other than those sorry Republicans, who are not glad for him. During the World Economic Summit, people in media kept predicting a conflict between Sarkosy's wife and Michele Obama, a kind of fashion faces off,until they turned up wearing the same color. Obviously they had colaborated to say the Summit is not about us. Today, President Sarkosy's words of congratulation were resounding. Remember the hostility of renaming French Fries and other such idiocies?

jvonkorff writes: As I talk to my Republican friends it is becoming increasingly clear that too many would rather that our President, whom they regard as really someone else's President, would be as weak as possible, even if it comes at great cost to our nation.

This desire, to diminish and weaken our President, at any cost, is a sign of a dangerous deterioration in American pride and patriotism.

Gee, some of my Democratic friends did the same thing for the past eight years. Isn't it terrible?

Now that the Europeans love us again, maybe they'll fulfill their NATO obligations in Afghanistan. If this relationshiop continues to be a one way street, the President will continue to enjoy higher approval ratings in Paris than Peoria.

yo republicans and neocons, i hope you have more sleepless nights because of your jealousy of our president and of america. Because when you rant about him getting the nobel peace prize, you must hate america cause you are against the idea of your own president getting a peace award. when you rant about our president trying to bring the olympic games to chicago, you forget to understand the revenue generated by the summer olympics was going to be minimum $33 billion for the US economy. Less you also forget all the countries in the running had their leaders attend the ceremony. when you rant about the president that he should quickly send 40,000 troops to afghanistan because the AFPAK commander said so - u forget to understand the constitution. The President is the commander-in-chief, thus mcChrystal made a recommendation to the national security council and smart people review a recommendation. Specially since your bush 2, rummy and wolfy diverted all our resources for 8 years and focused oh i don't know some place called...IRAQ!! So our government now has to fix what the previous government broke. So the empty suit that you call - oh i don't know our president who was the head of the most respected law review journal in the country, constitutional law professor unlike the other guy you had who could not end a normal english sentence without messing it couple of times - oh and also, yea he was hated by the whole world.

BEAR REVOLT was started by Veterans ( Czar nick named terrorists) seeking to empower the active troops with a clear documentation of the majority's will of the people, via petitions (signatured by all men women and children who have No Confidence this 2009 Federal Government), being entered into County recordations offices as a recorded document, then pooled, and placed as a" Document" into the Library of Congress by the people..
The well documented will can allow the defenders of the US Constitution the ability to carry out the will of the majority, and allow an emergency election and void all signatures of the current one.
This Redress call was named when Pelosi went to THE BEAR REPUBLIC California , and threw imported ACORNS at their heads,
then called them astroturf , and walked on their backs with her spikey heels out the door , refusing to listen to them.

PETITION:

The REDRESS of the 2009 Federal Government of the United States of America
For NO CONFIDENCE
By the recall of :
The Congress, (all names listed both Partys)
The Hill , ( all names listed both Partys)
The Cabinet, (all names listed)
The Czars, ( all names listed)
Barack Hussein Obama ( all "currently" known names listed: Barack Hussein Soroeto, Barack Hussein Dunham )

Emasculated, waning europeans are happy to see America joining them in the sunset of their glory.

Sadly, China, Russia, India, and Korea no longer believe America is a world contender.

Under obama, the dollar will no longer be the accepted world currency, our commerce will be more and more marginalized, and the nation will sink under the cost of forced socialization in a nation where only 40% contribute to the country's welfare.

The NPP has often been an "aspirational" and current award. Peres, Rabin, and Arafat won it "for their efforts to create peace in the Middle East", yet there is still a great amount of discord. Peace comes and goes. Some people work to build it and some choose to destroy it. Often, the same man will do both in a lifetime. The award rewards those who have done the most to promote peace in recent times.

America was unpopular under Bush? Is that why so many countries elected proAmerican governments during the Bush administration?
Turkey literally changed it's Constitution to allow a ProAmerican Erdogan to be elected President. France elected Sarkozy, nicknamed "Le Americain". Britain and Germany and Italy returned pro American government to power time and time again, yet we are constantly told that the world has turned against us during the Bush Administration.

kesac wrote:
"America was unpopular under Bush? Is that why so many countries elected proAmerican governments during the Bush administration?"
_________________________
They were bought, kesac.
I thought everybody knew that.
Blair was kicked out because the British didn't like him being bought.
Money talks, but that doesn't make the rich popular.

Never before has a president of this country reached out to foreign countries with such a sense of unity. For that reason he has earned this award. For him to be boo-ed at home says the distress in America has not been fully comprended,this is a disaster. The troubes of the world are now in America, yet we rave on with bad wishes. We do not need more education, we need more kindness and love of self. I am ashame and apalled, is there anything in this world Americans will not belittle.

The fact that five left-wing Norwegians like the most left-wing U.S. President in history is not so surprising. Nor is it that the European people, who are mostly left-wing and anti-Israel, love a left-wing President who has taken anti-Israel positions.

But David, popular is important only if it means we get something in return. It's early, but so far our "popularity" in Europe has not resulted in Europe or any other part of the world giving us anything. We have three more years, so maybe it will work, but I doubt it. Countries do what they think is in their interest -- whether they personally like the President of the U.S. is irrelevant. I predict Obama will not get Europe or the rest of the world to do anything to help us achieve our goals.

Both the Stock Market and the NASDAC were up today, the highest for the year. Do you suppose that had anything to do with the Glad Tidings from Oslo? Now, will all the Republican Naysayers give their profits made today because of this news, to charity also? May I suggest purchasing artificial limbs for all the damaged children in Afghanistan who are under 16 years of age? The rest of you nattering nabobs of negativity, may you choke on your own bile.

Gitmo? Still open for business...
Prisoners in the war on terror? Still being rendered to countries known to torture...
Iraq? Still a war...
Afghanistan? An even bigger war...

Oh, wait! What about BO's compelling appearance at the U.N. and his anti-nuke promo? According to the WaPo, Sep 24, 2009: "Addressing the leaders, Obama said nuclear weapons pose a 'fundamental threat' to the world. 'Just one nuclear weapon exploded in a city . . . could kill hundreds of thousands of people,' he said."

The keen insight! The compelling oratory! The stunning level of detail as to the magnitude of the danger! Figured it out, did he? Nukes are a "fundamental threat" and "could kill thousands of people"! If only the rest of us had known!

The only way BO looks good is by, 1) comparing him to "W", which is like comparing any other car to a Lada -- it's tough to look bad in that showdown and, 2) by letting Mainstream American Media and the world press throw slow-pitch softballs to him and planting the bad news farther back in the newspapers... or not at all.

kesac-you are spot on, and wardropper doesn't know what the hell he is talking about. He forgets that ANGELA MERKEL WAS JUST RE-ELECTED-SHE, A CENTER RIGHT CANDIDATE, BERLUSCONI, ITALY, A CENTER RIGHT CANDIDATE, SARKOZY, A CENTER RIGHT CANDIDATE-ALL OF THEM VERY CLOSE WITH PRES. BUSH-AND FOR ALL OF YOU WHO DON'T TRAVEL AROUND THE WORLD, I CAN TELL YOU THAT AS RECENTLY AS LAST WEEK WHEN I WAS IN ASIA, I HAD AN INDIAN MAN TELL ME "YOU KNOW, I REALLY LIKED PRES. BUSH"-THIS I HEARD CONTINUOUSLY IN INDIA AS WELL IN 2008-"AMERICA, STRONG, GOOD COUNTRY, WE LIKE!"

SO ALL OF YOU MISGUIDED, UNKNOWLEDGEABLE PEOPLE WHO THINK THIS COUNTRY WAS SO REVILED UNDER BUSH ARE SIMPLY IGNORANT OF THE FACTS-AND THE CURRENT CROP OF EUROPEAN LEADERS, ALL OF THEM CONSERVATIVES, AND ALL OF THEM GOOD FRIENDS OF BUSH-NOT TO MENTION POLAND AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC, IN FACT SHOW THAT EUROPE WANTS A CONSERVATIVE AGENDA, BOTH ECONOMICALLY, AND SOCIALLY. SORRY, BUT THEM'S THE FACTS!

kesac-you are spot on, and wardropper doesn't know what the hell he is talking about. He forgets that ANGELA MERKEL WAS JUST RE-ELECTED IN GERMANY-SHE, A CENTER RIGHT CANDIDATE, BERLUSCONI, ITALY, GREAT FRIEND OF BUSH, RECENTLY RE-ELECTED AS A CENTER RIGHT LEADER, SARKOZY, FRANCE, A CENTER RIGHT PRESIDENT-ALL OF THEM VERY CLOSE WITH PRES. BUSH-AND FOR ALL OF YOU WHO DON'T TRAVEL AROUND THE WORLD, I CAN TELL YOU THAT AS RECENTLY AS LAST WEEK WHEN I WAS IN ASIA, I HAD AN INDIAN SHOPKEEPER TELL ME "YOU KNOW, I REALLY LIKED PRES. BUSH"-THIS I HEARD CONTINUOUSLY IN INDIA AS WELL IN 2008-"AMERICA, STRONG, GOOD COUNTRY, WE LIKE!"

SO ALL OF YOU MISGUIDED, UNKNOWLEDGEABLE PEOPLE WHO THINK THIS COUNTRY WAS SO REVILED UNDER BUSH ARE SIMPLY IGNORANT OF THE FACTS-AND THE CURRENT CROP OF EUROPEAN LEADERS, ALL OF THEM CONSERVATIVES, AND ALL OF THEM GOOD FRIENDS OF BUSH-NOT TO MENTION POLAND AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC, IN FACT SHOW THAT EUROPE WANTS CONSERVATIVE, NOT LIBERAL POLICYMAKERS AS THEIR LEADERS, AND IT WANTS A CONSERVATIVE GOVERNMENT AGENDA, BOTH ECONOMICALLY, AND SOCIALLY. SORRY, BUT THEM'S THE FACTS, AND THAT'S GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH OBAMA!

Interesting Observation: The majority of the populace supports President Obama and is grateful for his much-needed efforts in multiple areas. The majority of internet posts are from his opponents. Do these people sit in a boiler room all day, doing nothing but writing negative posts? How much does a job like that pay?

Free and God loving people don't join such an un-American organization like the United Nations! It's an organization full of third world people and countries, with Col. Kadafi of Lybia in charge, no less!

Pay dues to the UN?, imagine that! Strong GOP leaders like Strom Thurmond, Jesse Helms, George W. Bush... they said loud and clear: NO, we ain't gonna pay dues to an organization dominated by a whole bunch of poor non-White third worlders!

Once the false veneer of "change" wears off, after 4 wars (pak + Iran) ( as opposed to 2 for the buTshER)

the world soon enough will come to a parallel realization to that of the Russians, whose latest popular saying I invite you to ponder here...

"everything the soviets told us about communism was a lie, but everything they told us about capitalism was true".

oreobama is a fraud, just about everything about the US is a fraud, banks, dollars, rigged equity and financial markets, political process, so called news... everything. I dare any who doesn't swallow whole to find one thing still not corrupted and a PR sham.

these are the last spasms of a dying empire.

be ready, it never is painless.

But then again, it can't come soon enough.

all the neocon-men might be applauding, sarkonazy, rigged elections merkel et al... but the people of the world are not (staged polls notwithstanding).

the world has had enough of the criminal and unprovoked wars of amerika and is allies... or is it its masters?

Yeah, Obama just adopter the "reflexive anti-Americanism" as his own, and voi la...now they love Obama... but they still hate the American people and our values. This is not a good thing unless you support reflexive anti-Americanism

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.

Obama has as President created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play. Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts. The vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations. Thanks to Obama's initiative, the USA is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting. Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened.

Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future. His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population.

For 108 years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to stimulate precisely that international policy and those attitudes for which Obama is now the world's leading spokesman. The Committee endorses Obama's appeal that "Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges."

Stop, America, and look around and listen to what you are saying. Whatever political color you are; whatever feelings you have for Barack Obama as a President or politician - Stop. The Nobel Peace Prize is a recognition for something special. When your 3rd grade child got an award for something special, 100 people saying he or she could have done it better does not matter. What matters is this. Barack Obama has one of the most difficult jobs in the world. He is doing his best. He will fail, and he will succeeed. Just as you and I have. But at a higher level. So, let's just stop. And let's celebrate that an American has received this global award for peace. And let's just stop for the moment the cynicism, the second-guessing, and climbing on the bandwagon of hate, anger, and vitriol. Let's just celebrate that a good thing has happened in the world - and it's a good reflection on where all of us on this earth would like to go. Congratulations, Barack Obama. For just today - your achievement exceeds that of your kitten's birthday.

that this comes the same week as that classic "Jack Squat" sketch on SNL is just too funny. The Nobel Peace prize has just jumped the shark. Hilarious, if it wasn't such a sad comment on the state of what passes for western principles.

Rome fell from within. this is what it must have felt like at the beginning of the end.

The rest of the world loves the US when we are shown as weak and ineffective. They can control this President as it has shown each time he has gone overseas and come home with no accomplishments. They can turn him down and not worry he will get angry because he is ineffective at standing up for US. He apologizes where ever he goes and shows himself to not be for the US but appears to for the world. Our goals and the world's goals may not always be the same. Bush acted despite an ineffective and out of date UN. Obama would never do that. That is why he won the award.

The Euros don't hate Bush because of his policies. They hated him long before 9/11. They hated him just because he was from Texas. They hated him because he is a Christian. They hated him because is not an environmental wacko. They hated him because he supports capital punishment. They hated him because he doesn't comport with their effete mores (which suit Oboobma to a tee).

In sum, they hate Bush because he is an American, and they love Oboobma because he is not.

cosi1 wrote:
A Swiss from Switzerland: Why do Americans worry so much about being liked in the World?
You are a Superpower and need to be respected no loved.
Don't kid yourself, the Europeans never really liked you. Perhaps a short while after WWI and WWII.
They are jealous of the US, no country is more in the forefront with technology, inovation, movies, etc., they would like to have your clout and influence.
And when they pretended "to like you" it was always in a paternalistic smug way.
Why do you think the young people from all over would love to come to the US.
The US is still the greatest country in the world with all its faults. There is nothing like it anywhere.

Giving him an award won't make anyone like us. This is a joke, a very embarrassing joke and he could have refused it politely. More worthy candidates were available and deserved it more. Shame on the committee!!!

and by the way....stop hating and blaming our country's problems on Bush. For the past 8 years the democratic led congress and house of representatives have created what we must live in now. Before you blame Bush, take a good long look in the mirror and blame yourself!!!

It IS a reflection of Obama personally and how the world sees him. Unfortunately, it is hard to reconcile his speeches with his actions. The awarding of a "peace" prize to an American sitting President while he publicly "struggles" (read takes opinion polls) to decide whether to escalate a war or not is either satirical or conspiratory.